Latest Bluetongue Stories

Researchers funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) have taken a step towards producing better vaccines against Bluetongue â€“ an important disease of livestock - after successfully assembling the virus outside a cell.

Bluetongue disease is a viral disease that is non-contagious, non-zoonotic, and insect-borne. It is mainly found in sheep and less commonly in cattle, goats, buffalo, deer, dromedaries, and antelope. It is not transmissible to humans.
The virus is pathogenic, part of the genus Orbivirus, and is a member of the Reoviridae family. With 24 serotypes the virus can cause serious disease in livestock. Due to its seriousness BTV has received extensive research for the last three decades and is...